Saudi Arabia tops survey

Oman and Kuwait are expensive for car parts Muscat - Arabstoday A study conducted by the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Commerce in Bahrain found that Saudi Arabia has the lowest car prices among the GCC states while Oman and Kuwait are among the most expensive for spare parts, Oman Daily Observer has reported. The study compared the prices of cars and spare parts in Bahrain with those in other GCC states by means of analysing the prices of the most commonly used cars in the Gulf region and by surveying car agency managers and directors of consumer protection departments. General rating of all the car agencies in the GCC states placed Saudi Arabia at the top in terms of the affordability of spare parts with 13 points. Bahrain came second, while Oman and Kuwait came last with 21 points each. According to the research, auto parts consumption across all vehicle categories in the GCC was estimated at $8.85bn in 2012 and is set to surge to as much as $14.4bn by 2016, Oman Daily Observer said.